POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMME REGULATIONS AND SYLLABUSES Master of Education (MEd) Introduction

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1 Master of Education (MEd) Introduction The School of Education at Cave Hill aims to be a centre of excellence with respect to teaching, research and human resource development in education for the Eastern Caribbean sub-region. The School at Cave Hill has a long history of human resource and outreach contributions to the quality of teacher education in the Eastern Caribbean. The School aims to make such developmental activities and research in teacher education the core around which to pursue an optional blend of its contributions to the development of the educational systems in the Eastern Caribbean region. The Master s of Education has been approved for delivery in the following specialisations:- Curriculum Studies; Educational Leadership; Inclusive Practices for Special Needs Students; Language & Literacy Education; School Counselling; Science and Technology Education; Social Context and Education Policy; Testing, Measurement and Evaluation; and The Psychology of Education. A summary of each programme follows: Curriculum Studies; The Master of Education with specialization in Curriculum Studies addresses the need in the Caribbean to improve education at its foundation teaching and learning. Course participants (teachers, principals, curriculum specialists, education officers as well as trainers in business organizations) examine and re envision personal practice and build expertise against the backdrop of the theoretical foundations of curriculum, curriculum design and curriculum innovation and change. In key areas of the programme participants a) examine justifications for technology in instruction in the first course b) gain knowledge and skill in integrating media and technology in instruction in the next 2 courses and c) examine the effectiveness of technology based innovations in schools in the Caribbean in the final course. Further, since the Curriculum specialization is embedded in the Master of Education programme, participants grapple with ideas in other education specializations such as Educational Leadership and the Social Context of Education and Educational Policy and develop/hone their research skills in two research courses and a research study. Educational Leadership; The Educational Leadership specialization in the Master of Education programme is designed to equip current and future administrators with the knowledge, skills, and competencies which are essential for effective leadership and management at all levels in the educational system. The programme seeks to ensure that leaders are able to make a seamless transfer from the classroom to the offices of administration and leadership. Inclusive Practices for Special Needs Students; The Master of Education specialization in Inclusive Practices for Special Needs Students is based on established epistemologies in the field of special education. It is a practice based course of study that uses a clinical model delivered in a developmental sequence. The spiralling of the courses offered will enable teachers to locate their practice in the real world context of their classrooms and bridge the gap between research and practice.

2 Language & Literacy Education; If students are not literate, they cannot succeed in other content areas, such as math, science, social studies, geography and history. The Master of Education in Language and Literacy Education is grounded in the belief that language and literacy skills are essential to every aspect of an individual's life and that literate individuals contribute positively to our social, cultural, and economic well-being. This programme will broaden the scope of Language/Linguistics and Literacy studies in Education at the graduate level by introducing an integrated perspective to the School of Education's taught offerings. Students will acquire a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the literacy and language/linguistics connection. The programme will also incorporate research which focuses on factors that influence the development of language and literacy skills, with particular emphasis on improving language and literacy instruction and policy nationally and regionally and by equipping students with transferable skills applicable to a range of professions within and without language and literacy. School Counselling; The Master of Education (School Counselling) is a practitioner-oriented programme that is committed to equip current and potential school counsellors with advanced knowledge and specialized skills to contribute meaningfully to the personal, academic, and career development of the youth they serve in the Caribbean. This is accomplished by in-depth training in core counselling skills, developing theoretical and practical knowledge that informs practice, and providing opportunities for supervised counselling practice. The major aim of the programme is to prepare culturally sensitive professionals who think critically and base their practices on scholarly inquiry. The interaction between graduate students and practicing guidance counsellors and faculty provides opportunities for mentoring and increased professional development. Science and Technology Education; The Master of Education specialization in Science and Technology is designed to address a growing Caribbean regional emphasis on student improvement in science and technology subjects and to meet the demand for qualified teachers for physics, chemistry, biology and technology. It is also designed to bridge the gap created by the policy of teaching science subjects in an integrated form as revealed in the Harmonized Curriculum for the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States. Moreover, the business sector has also been found to be interested in more research in the area of science and technology. This programme is unique and innovative as it provides a trans-disciplinary approach to education, in addition to infusing technology into the science curricula. Social Context and Education Policy; The Master of Education (Social Context and Education Policy) is designed to provide education workers with an understanding of how social, cultural, philosophical, and institutional forces shape education systems, educational policies, and individuals within the Caribbean region. It is intended to provide workers in the field of education with the understanding, knowledge, skills and competencies required to better equip them to address the underlying issues and challenges in contemporary education. The programme is designed for educators in both formal and non-formal educational settings who wish to pursue further studies into the fundamental problems and questions in the social context of education. As such it is not limited to educational workers in the classroom such as teachers of social studies, but also targets educators and administrators in non-formal education (such as community, and nongovernmental organizational settings), social workers, school counselors, education planners, education

3 policy analysts, and other individuals interested in developing a deeper understanding of the sociocultural aspect of education. Because of this the teaching qualification is not essential for acceptance and the programme is open to a wider range of educational workers. The Master of Education (Social Context and Education Policy) is aimed at strengthening the teaching, learning, and research nexus through the critical examination and analysis of the socio-cultural factors at work in the field of education. Testing, Measurement and Evaluation The Master of Education specialization in Testing, Measurement and Evaluation is designed to provide students with a solid foundation in the theory and application of assessment practices, measurement and evaluation methodologies and statistical techniques that will allow them to enhance their classroom teaching experience or to pursue careers at regional or international testing and assessment organizations. Students in this programme will be actively involved in discussing and evaluating the emerging opportunities and challenges with which teachers will be faced as a consequence of this paradigm shift. Therefore, while the programme will provide teachers with a fundamental understanding of the core assessment principles, with regard to designing reliable, fair, valid assessments, it will also challenge them to infuse these core principles into designing new assessments that will have a greater positive impact on student learning and achievement. The Psychology of Education The Master of Education specialization in Psychology of Education provides grounding in psychology, with particular attention to its implications for education, teaching and learning, and research methods, so that the student gains an understanding of the psychological foundations of education, instructional strategies and designs, psychological research, and stages of development for different age groups. It encompasses cognition and learning, the influence of personality, goals, and interest on learning, human development, and the social psychology of education. The programme addresses such issues in all education contexts, as well as in everyday contexts such as the home. A M.Ed. degree in Psychology of Education is valuable for teachers seeking to develop their own philosophy of instruction through researching human learning and motivation. Not all specialisations are offered every year. Entry Requirements Admission to the Master of Education programme will normally require: 1. A Bachelor s degree of at least Lower Second Class Honours and the Diploma in Education of The University of the West Indies or any other diploma or certificate in Education acceptable to the School of Education; 2. A Bachelor s degree with courses in Education acceptable to the School of Education; 3. A Bachelor s degree and a Teacher s College Certificate that are both acceptable to the School of Education, 4. The Bachelor of Education Degree of the UWI or 5. Any qualification or experience deemed to be equivalent by the appropriate committee of the Faculty of Humanities and Education;

4 Duration For full-time candidates the degree programme runs from August of one year to July 31st of the following year which is the deadline for submission of the research project. Programme Structure/ Course of Study Students are required to successfully complete 3, 4 or 5 courses in the area of specialisation, 3 compulsory courses according to the package of courses identified for the selected area of specialisation, and a Research Project. Re-sit Examinations Candidates may be permitted to re-sit examinations by the Board of Graduate Studies and Research on the recommendation of examiners. Re-sit examinations will normally be held the next time the course is offered and occasionally may be held in July/August each year. Research Project Students will conduct their research projects in an area identified as a priority research area in their specialisation stream. Students may conduct their research in their home territory providing that adequate supervision arrangements can be made. The Research Project should not exceed 15,000 words (exclusive of notes and bibliography). Three copies of the completed Research Project must be submitted to the School of Education by July 31st. The final version of the Research Project should be completed at least one full week before the deadline to allow for last minute delays in printing, and other potential problems. Research Projects MUST not be submitted by . The Research Project will not be accepted after the deadline unless the Director of the School of Education had previously approved an extension for properly documented extenuating circumstances. Submitted Research Projects are not returned so students are strongly advised to keep a separate copy of the final version. LIST OF COURSES IN PACKAGES FOR EACH SPECIALISATION STREAM Compulsory Courses for all students EDFA 6010 Current Issues in Education EDRS 6001 Research Methods in Education Curriculum Studies 42 credits EDCU 6003 Curriculum Foundations

5 EDCU 6004 Curriculum Design for Caribbean Settings I EDCU 6005 Leadership in Curriculum & Instruction in the Caribbean EDCU 6300 Curriculum Design for Caribbean Settings II Elective choose 1 EDRS 6002 Research Methods and Statistics in Education (if not taken as Compulsory) OR Any course from other Master of Education specialisations Educational Leadership 38 credits EDLE 6000 EDLE 6001 EDLE 6002 EDLE 6003 Fundamentals of Educational Administration and Organizational Behavior Effective Leadership in Education Human Relations Management in Education The Legal, Financial, and Industrial Relations Environment of Educational Leadership Inclusive Practices for Special Needs Students 42 credits EDPS 6310 EDSE 6000 EDSE 6010 EDSE 6020 Typical and Atypical Human Development and Learning Foundations in Special Education: Theories of Inclusive Education Transactive Curriculum in Inclusive Classrooms Assessment of Children in Inclusive and Special Education Classrooms Plus 1 Elective from: EDCU 6004 Curriculum Design for Caribbean Settings I EDLS 6402 Literacy Assessment and Intervention EDME 6201 Introduction to Educational Measurement EDPS 6303 Cognition and Learning Language & Literacy Education 42 credits EDLS 6401 EDLS 6402 EDLS 6403 Language and Literacy Development and Instruction Literacy Assessment and Intervention Critical Issues in Language and Literacy Education

6 LING 6102 First and Second Language Acquisition Plus 1 Elective from: EDLS 6407 Literature for Children and Adolescents EDLS 6408 The Literacy and Language Arts Leader EDLS 6503 The Literacy Curriculum (from Open Campus) EDLS 6505 Literacy Materials Design (from Open Campus) EDSE 6010 Transactive Curriculum in Inclusive Classrooms LING 6103 Principles and Methods of English Language Teaching School Counselling 38 credits EDCL 6000 EDPS 6310 EDCL 6001 EDCL 6002 School Counselling: Guidance Programmes and Professional Knowledge Typical and Atypical Human Development and Learning Individual and Group Counselling Fundamentals of Practice in Educational and Career Guidance Science and Technology Education 38 credits EDSC 6010 EDSC 6205 EDSC 6613 EDSC 6704 Issues in Science and Technology Education Measurement and Assessment in Science and Technology Education Learning and Teaching of Science and Technology Trends in Curriculum Development in Science and Technology Education Social Context and Education Policy 40 credits EDEP 6000 EDEP 6001 EDEP 6002 SOCI 6024 SOCI 6029 Advanced Sociology of Education Caribbean Ideologies and Policies in Education Reform Citizenship Education, Democracy and Global Trends Construction of Race in the Caribbean and Americas (3 credits) Race, Colonialism, & Culture (3 credits)

7 Testing, Measurement and Evaluation 42 credits EDME 6201 Introduction to Educational Measurement EDME 6202 Performance Assessment Strategies EDMA 6010 Basics of Programme Evaluation & Quality Assurance EDRS 6002 Research Methods and Statistics in Education EDME 6203 Applied Psychometric Methods The Psychology of Education 42 credits EDPS 6111 EDPS 6301 EDPS 6302 EDPS 6303 EDPS 6310 Psychology of Caribbean Children Personality Theory and Assessment Social Psychology of Education Cognition and Learning Typical and Atypical Human Development and Learning